Lion Air Apologizes to Passengers

Solo, C Java (Antara) - The management of budget carrier Lion Air on Sunday apologized to its passengers at the city's Adi Soemarmo Airport for the engine trouble of its Jakarta-bound plane. "We highly apologize to all passengers," Lion Air senior manager Leo Kartiko S said. The 737-900 ER plane with flight number JT0535 was supposed to take off from the airport at 01.25 p.m. but because of the engine trouble it canceled the flight. Leo said he had prepared a substitute plane with flight number JT0531 which would leave for Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 09.00 p.m. He said the airline company would compensate each passenger Rp300 thousand for the canceled flight and the money would be transferred to their respective accounts. Hotel rooms were also made available to passengers who chose to travel by substitute flight on Monday at 09.00 a.m., he said. At the request of passengers, Leo was ready to accompany them to travel to Jakarta by substitute plane which departed for Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 09.00 p.m. "This problem is unavoidable. We all don't expect it," he said. The Lion Air plane with flight number JT0535 was supposed to carry 200 passengers. (*)